Jedi Bond
by Sparetime Stories
Summary: Kanan and Ezra. An exploration of the Jedi bond, tried to portray the characters as true to the show as possible.
1. Chapter 1 - Haunted

Chapter 1

Everyone on the Ghost had turned in for some rest, and Ezra stood in the dim hallway.

"Hey Kanan?" Ezra said, leaning towards his master's door. He rubbed his arm absently as he waited, and glanced up the hallway at the empty cockpit. The Ghost's standby systems blinked and faintly hummed, the only thing keeping it from looking completely dead. Through the cockpit window a night breeze washed through the massive trees that loomed over the craft. The boy shivered despite his layered jumpsuit. Something about this planet had made him feel uneasy. Ezra had managed to get a few hours before he had woken up in a panic, his breathing fast and shallow.

From the back of the ship a whirling noise wheezed out of Chopper. Ezra rolled his eyes. Even when the little bot was recharging he still sounded upset. With a shrug he looked back at Kanan's door and wondered how long to wait. He leaned in toward the door, nervous enough to hazard a knock this time. "Hey, Kana-"

Ezra stiffened as the door slid open, and looked up sheepishly. Kanan groggily swayed and squinted his eyes. He looked down at the boy. Ezra wasn't sure if the scowl was intentional or not.

"Ezra? What is it?" Kanan said, a little worry drifted under his voice.

"I would have waited if I could but I need to know something." Ezra said, arms close at his side. "I uh...is it possible for the Inquisitor track us through the force?" Ezra said.

"What?" Kanan said, trying to hold back more confusion from his voice. Ezra avoided looking at Kanan and fidgeted in the hall. When Ezra did briefly meet his mentor's gaze Kanan saw genuine concern behind the embarrassment. The boy's worry was enough to grab Kanan's attention.

"Its...its not that easy." Kanan paused to focus his mind and finish waking up. He walked back from the door and waved Ezra in. The boy followed tentatively behind him. "That kind of precision usually takes both sides opening up to each other. So unless we go inviting him, the Inquisitor wont be able to find us that easily." Sitting on his bunk, Kanan watched Ezra relax, but noticed not completely. There was definitely something else the boy wasn't mentioning.

"That's...that's good to know!" Ezra said. "I uh, I'll let you get back to sleep then. Sorry to wake you up just for that." Kanan's eyes narrowed as Ezra slowly side stepped towards the door. The boy froze when the door slide shut with the wave of Kanan's hand.

"Sit." He said softly.

Ezra plopped down onto Kanan's meditation chair and tried not to show how uncomfortable it felt. Kanan crossed his arms, "There's more, isn't there?" Ezra's shoulders curled timidly. The older Jedi gave a cocky grin "If I get up this early, I want a full story." Ezra watched his mentor uncross his arms and rest his elbow on his knee. Ezra wondered how Kanan could have so many intimidating poses.

Leaning forward, Kanan waited for Ezra, watching calmly as the boy collected his thoughts. Kanan felt the boy's tension and did what he could to steady him through the force.

"This is kind of...look I don't-" Ezra paused and looked at the backs of his hands. "I keep having these dreams." Ezra closed his hands and looked up expecting to see doubt, but Kanan's face remained focused. "The Inquisitor finds us. The two of us. In the dream I mean. Each time he shows up you...you don't stop him. I watch him kill you, and then he turns on me and I wake up." Ezra quickly said, "Look I'm not a little kid Kanan, I'm use to bad dreams, but these feel different. It feels like he's really here. I've been worried he might actually..." Ezra trailed off and realized he had been rubbing his arm. He felt a slight nudge from Kanan, a warm influence through the force, and looked down, embarrassed by the support. Raising his head back up, Ezra watched his mentor as he tried to push the embarrassment away.

"You've been worried he might actually be connecting with you through your dreams?" Kanan finished Ezra's last statement. Ezra nodded and slouched against the wall, his hands limp in his lap. "How long have you been having the dream?" Kanan asked.

"Just the last few days." Ezra exhaled. "I haven't really gotten much sleep since we got here." Kanan watched his tired young apprentice, seeing just how exhausted he was now that he's guard had been lowered. It was usually a struggle to get Ezra to open up like this, and Kanan was glad to see it.

The older Jedi placed a hand on Ezra's mop of hair and said, "Well I can promise you the Inquisitor can't find you unless you let him, so you don't have to worry about that anymore." Ezra inhaled slowly, and while still exhausted, looked more at peace. He nodded at Kanan and gave a weak, but sincere smile. Kanan ruffled the boy's hair and smirked, "But what's this about me always dying in your dream? I mean, I'm not that bad in a fight, am I?" Ezra looked up at Kanan's mopping expression and let a tired chuckle escape.

"Well if you call the running away we always do a fight, then you're pretty alright I guess." Kanan momentarily seemed genuinely hurt before giving way to an angry smile.

"It takes one to know one, so I guess I'll take the complement." Kanan said with a chuckle.

Ezra grinned slightly and then felt the full lack of sleep catch up with him. He didn't even try to hide the yawn.

"Alright, you better get some rest kid." the older Jedi said. Reaching down he slid his hands under Ezra's arms and picked his padawan up, setting him on his feet. Too tired, Ezra didn't even complain about the help. Kanan kept a hand on Ezra's shoulder as he walked him across the hallway. The older Jedi knelt in front of Ezra. He inhaled slowly and said, "If the dream happens again, I want you reach out for me. Ignore the dream and find the real me, through the force." Ezra nodded a little uncertainly.

"Thanks Kanan." Ezra said. The older Jedi squeezed Ezra's shoulder and stood up, opening the door to the boy's bunk. They both tensed and looked at Zeb as the door sketched a little. After a few moments they both exhaled.

"Get some sleep kiddo." Kanan said and watched Ezra gingerly climb into his bunk above Zeb. The old Lasat might sleep like the dead, strangely silent for such a massive person. Once Ezra was settled, Kanan shut the door and returned to his cabin.

Closing his door, Kanan prepared his mind for meditation. He was concerned by Ezra's dream, and wondered if the boy was strong enough already to be getting premonitions. Taking deep breaths, the Jedi began opening himself to the force, connecting with it and expanding himself through it. He felt the sleeping crew around him, and the bond between himself and Ezra. Sensing the young padawan was resting soundly, Kanan traveled deeper, finding a place in the force were he could focus. Calmly, he searched the flow around him, looking to catch glimpses of the future. If Ezra's dreams were a warning of things to come, Kanan hoped he'd find at least a hint of what to watch out for. As he dwelt on what his padawan had said, the memory of losing his own master returned. Kanan stiffened slightly at the thought, but allowed it to move through him and guide him.

Suddenly Kanan felt a presence outside his meditation, far away but somewhere on the planet. It was drawn to him, almost magnetically, and connected with him. Before he could gather more about the presence Kanan was thrown into in a vivid dream. He was a padawan again, and watched helpless as his master was murdered. He felt through their bond his last moment, the flash of concern and dread for his padawan, and the fresh wound of the bond breaking as his master went still. Kanan withdrew quickly, recoiling as he returned to his cabin and gasped in a few quick gulps of air as he remembered were he was. Frantically calming himself, he felt a small hitch as the memories faded back into the dimness. "What the hell...was that..." He whispered.


	2. Phantom

Chapter 2

"You're sure about this?" Hera said over the comm.

Kanan finished up a long swig from the drink Hera had made for him. "I'm sure you guys will have fun without me," he said.

Sabine's voice piped up over the comm, "Oh we'll have fun alright. I was up extra early cooking up something special." Kanan opened his mouth but was cut off by Zeb's low growl.

"Karabast...we were all up early thanks to you." Kanan rolled his eyes at the sound of Chopper's angry squawks. He could hear the bucket of spare parts rattling off incoherent feedback.

Apparently Sabine understood it, and said "Chopper, when is he not in a bad mood. Trust me Zeb, you wont even remember this morning when you see these little miracles make that imperial shipment disappear!" The squabbling continued but faded off into the background.

Even over the comm, Hera's voice couldn't hide her fatigue."As much as I'd like some help with these guys, I'm glad you and Ezra are getting some one on one time." Kanan glanced over his shoulder to check on Ezra, asleep in one of the phantom's fold down chairs."He went back to sleep didn't he?" Hera asked, and Kanan could hear her grin.

"Kid needs his beauty sleep." Kanan said with a smirk.

"I'm glad he finally is." Hera said warmly. Kanan laughed, always surprised at how keen Hera was when it came to her crew."You wouldn't happen to have had anything to do with that, would you?" She said, and Kanan stifled, unsure how to respond to Hera's gentle teasing.

"Stay safe Specter two, and send me a message when you're ready to meet back up." Kanan said.

Her grin still audible, Hera said "Roger that Phantom, Ghost out."

Kanan reclined and finished off his morning drink. He inhaled the warm nutty scent of the empty cup before stowing it next to the pilot seat. The small flier rumbled a bit when Kanan took manual control and he heard Ezra stir behind him. The boy's yawn filled the shuttle as Ezra stretched. The Phantom jostled a bit, nearly tipping Ezra out of his seat. He nimbly scrambled to hold himself in place, feeling the shuttle vibrate through his hands. The pattering of raindrops hitting the hull grew louder as Ezra stood up and walked up to the cockpit. "Whoa..." Ezra said when he saw the storm front that filled the front windows. "Where are we headed?" he said.

Kanan flipped some of the overhead switches as he said,"From the map I was looking at last night, its a small town almost on the other side of the planet."

Ezra looked sideways at Kanan."Were you up all night?" he said a little timidly.

"Don't worry, it wasn't just me." Kanan said with a good-natured shrug. "You'd think Sabine's bomb making would be a much...gentler process."

Ezra laughed and said, "I couldn't tell if she was making them or setting them off."

Kanan chuckled "Actually, after you went to sleep, I did some meditating." Kanan's tone of voice peaked Ezra's interest. Eager to hear more about the Jedi's secrets he leaned against the wall to get comfortable. "I was meditating and I came felt a presence, a strange one." Ezra tilted his head in interest, feeling uneasy. Kanan said, his voice now very serious. "When it connected with me...I had the same dream you've been having."

"Wait, what?" Ezra blurted, rising off the wall. "That means you...watched yourself die? Hold on, how does that work?" Ezra stared off into the sheets of rain the Phantom passed through, his nose scrunched up in confusion.

"No, not that kind of same." Kanan said, glancing at his padawan. "I...dreamed about when my master was killed, the same way you kept dreaming about my death."

Ezra's confusion started to clear, "Oh...OH!" he said as the realization of what Kanan was talking about sunk in. "...oh." he said a little subdued. Kanan checked one of the screens and dipped the shuttle down slightly, enough to make Ezra's ears pop.

"Its ok Ezra, we shouldn't forget the things that happen to us, good or bad. We should let those memories teach us, make us better." Kanan said. The shuttle was quiet for a while as Ezra looked at the dark rain clouds. The noise of the rain hitting the hull seemed dim for a few moments. Ezra looked back at Kanan, who seemed to be in a serious thought of his own.

Ezra said, "Even that time you almost beat Chopper at Holomonsters, and he tased you under the tabl-"

"That!" Kanan said with a jump, closing his legs involuntarily. "That one I wish we could all forget." he felt, as much as saw, Ezra's impish smile in the corner of his eye. Kanan tried to remain stoic but felt himself start to crack. Before he could give Ezra the satisfaction of breaking, he jerked the Phantom downward, lifting Ezra off the ground with a yelp. Kanan pulled back up and the startled boy dropped. He grasped frantically and barely managed to latch on to a hanging strap. Kanan started to dip again.

"Ok! Ok!" Ezra said and Kanan leveled the Phantom again. The boy's chest heaved a little faster and he said playfully, "I see that's still a...sensitive topic." This time Kanan managed to keep control of his legs. He glanced over at his padawan and they exchanged a look that a suggested a truce. Kanan smiled as he looked forward, flipping a switch to turn on the outside flood lights. Ezra grinned as he finished pulling himself into a stable position, resting a hand on the pilot's chair.

Despite the heavy rain blurring the bright flood lights, Ezra could make out a landing pad. As they approached, the comms panel buzzed and what sounded like a droid asked for identification. Kanan said, "Uh yeah, this is the 'Petite Huttling', requesting a place to refuel and maybe grab a bite to eat." While they waited for a response, Ezra got a good look at the large structure the landing pad was attached to. It rose clear above the trees, massive beams of light aimed up into the sky, silhouetted what looked like a huge communications dish on the roof. It looked like Imperial designs, so it had to be rather new, even though there was a lot of moss and rust patches on the surface. Ezra paused as he felt a ripple in the force. He didn't know what it was, but it felt unnatural and dark.

"I know, I felt it too." Kanan said. Ezra looked at his master and saw him gazing down into the forest. Ezra felt a chill as another ripple hit him. A gentle force nudge from Kanan let Ezra feel the older Jedi's calm. He was surprised it actually helped a little, and pushed the chill to the side. Ezra was grateful, but still unsure how he felt about Kanan's help.

"What's causing that." Ezra said, trying to focus in on the source of the ripples. It was there, near were Kanan had been looking. "It feels like its...moving." Ezra said. The comm buzzed and startled Ezra, who jumped a little. He thought he saw Kanan jump a little too.

"Petite Huttling, you are cleared for landing pad six. We don't get a lot of visitors out here so you should be for a while if you need the rest."

Kanan leaned into the mic and said, "Acknowledged tower, I'm getting the telemetry for pad 6 right now. Thanks for the warm welcome." A stiff rainy gust clipped the Phantom as she came in for landing and pushed the little shuttle around. Kanan's grip on the yoke clenched a little and he felt Ezra tense a little next to him. Kanan muttered to himself, "Well, maybe just thanks for the welcome."

Kanan waited for a break in the wind, then landed the Phantom. The shuttle jostled its two occupants before the magnetic clamps could lock in. As Kanan started to shut down the engines Ezra loosened his grip on the pilot seat. Vibrations from the engine were replaced by the gusting winds that surged up from the forest below, occasionally rattling the shuttle. With the flood lights still on, the storm seemed to rush at the cockpit windows and gave the illusion of turbulent hyperspace. Ezra felt Kanan's hand pat his shoulder and Kanan said, "I get the feeling it never stops raining here." Ezra scoffed with a lop sided smirk and followed Kanan to the back of the shuttle. Kanan opened one of the storage compartments and pulled out a cloak and handed it to Ezra. It was grey and slightly worn, with a few frayed threads along the bottom. Ezra held it up and turned it around for a quick inspection before swinging it around himself. There was a little waft of some odd smell as it settled around him but it didn't linger.

"How long has this been in there?" Ezra asked, feeling the surprisingly smooth fabric, much smoother than it looked. Kanan pulled another cloak from the locker and quickly flung it around himself.

"Since I came to the Ghost," He said. He checked his gun before drawing his cloak all the way around in front. "It was my old cloak," he said with a hint of fondness. Ezra held the cloak open and noticed some faint singe marks on the inside. Old plasma burns he guessed. He'd seen the same marks from imperial rifles dozens of times.

"You're old Jedi cloak?" Ezra said, gingerly drawing the cloak shut.

"Yep." Kanan said as he looked Ezra over. "I think it suits you, padawan" Kanan said as he pulled up his hood. Ezra smirked as he drew his own hood up.

"Does that mean I'll get my own lightsaber soon?" Ezra said. The older Jedi turned and pushed the door release. The hydraulics were instantly drowned out by the howling wind that rushed into the Phantom and started pulling at their legs. The wind sucked out the cabin air and flooded the shuttle with a fresh, moist smell that made Ezra shiver. Kanan grabbed his cloak and folded his arms, wrapping the fabric tightly around him. Ezra quickly copied him as the door finished opening and rain began to blow into the shuttle. Through the downpour Ezra could just make out the walk way that lead to the building. There weren't any railings and the grated floor allowing the wind to rush straight up through.

A strong gust tipped Kanan, who crouched to stay balanced. He turned toward Ezra with an eyebrow raised. Ezra had a smirk on his face when a another gust pushed him. He couldn't help but take a step towards the edge and nimbly lowered himself. Looking through the floor he saw the tops of the trees bending violently below. With a nervous grin, Ezra looked up in time to see Kanan's lop sided smile. The two crouched low and walked cautiously until they were both inside the elevator. Kanan drew back his hood with a whistle.

"That," he said "is probably why they don't have a lot of visitors." The elevator started moving down more gracefully than Kanan anticipated. Ezra pulled back his hood and shook out the water that had blown into his hair. He caught sight of the blaster burns inside his cloak and wondered if he should ask Kanan about them. There was still a lot about Kanan he didn't know. Ezra remembered the calm he had felt from Kanan when they both felt the disturbance in the shuttle. It had been a small thing, but Ezra realized how much it had bolstered his thoughts and allowed himself to focus. He pondered the idea of actually dropping his guard, but pulled away from the thought. How could he let himself get attached to someone he knew so little about. The elevator began to slow down, breaking Ezra out of his introspection.

The doors slide open to the sound of the wind, but muted by the surrounding trees. Tucked under the vast canopy was a surprisingly well lit village. A couple streets, little more than walk ways, wove through a few dozen buildings. Ezra noticed the moss and rust was about the same amount as the tower and guessed the whole town had not been around very long. A mix of species walked the streets, most with light coverings for the rain. The storm might have been extreme up on the tower, but down here the canopy had reduced it to a drizzle of thick and heavy water drops.

When he stepped out of the elevator Ezra felt the ripples again, much closer and more invasive. It seemed to fill the whole town in a white noise that made his connection with the force hazy. He checked to see if the disturbance would hinder his connection with Kanan, and was relieved, and a little embarrassed, when he felt Kanan reach back with reassurance.

Kanan looked down at Ezra as he felt his apprentice tentatively draw on their bond. Ezra was trying to keep his guard up, but slow progress was still progress. There was still a lot of fear and mistrust inside the boy. He thought of Master Kenobi's final message to 'trust in the force' and Kanan hoped he was doing the right thing by training the boy. Kanan exhaled slowly, push his doubts aside and focused on finding the source of the distortion. Feeling the unnatural distortion up close, Kanan subconsciously rested his hand on his lightsaber hilt.

"Kanan, its everywhere," Ezra said as he looked around. "What is this?"

"Its...it feels like a wound in the force," Kanan said, his furrowed concentration broke momentary in surprise. "But..." Kanan said, "Wounds like this are suppose to be locations, fixed places were the force has been made unstable."

Ezra furrowed his brow and said, "But I felt it moving from the shuttle." he said, his uneasy feeling returning despite his efforts. "What does that mean?"

Kanan frowned and said, "I don't know."

"Oh well that's...comforting." Ezra said after hearing his mentor's surprise. He watched Kanan's brow tighten as the older Jedi continued to concentrate on the disturbance. Ezra noticed someone across the street point at Kanan and whisper to their group. Ezra hooked his arm around Kanan's and gently tugged him a step forward. "Alright Dad, that's enough fresh air for now." he said, loud enough for the pedestrians to hear. When Kanan looked at Ezra, the boy subtly jerked his head to the side, sending Kanan's gaze over to the whispering folks across the street. Kanan exaggerated a long, dramatic inhale and stretched his arms.

"You're right, you're right...I just get so tired of that recycled ship air." Kanan said with a loud exhale. The people across the street lost interest and went back to whatever they had been talking about. "Thanks kid." Kanan said, quiet enough for just Ezra to hear. The two walked away from the tower and headed down what looked like the main street. The forest canopy completely covered the ground and the temperature was much cooled enough for Ezra to see his breath. While they walked Ezra tried to block out the hazy effect of the disturbance but without much success. It felt like it was beginning to stick to him. The longer he stayed in it the less he wanted to be there.

"You never did finish explaining why we flew all the way out here." Ezra said. A shriek from above made him skip half a step and he looked up in time to see a feathered lizard glide past. He folded his arms tighter with a shiver and said, "I think I'd like to know about any plans you might have." Kanan placed his hand on Ezra's shoulder and stopped.

"In here, we might as well be warm while we talk." Kanan said and walked through the well-lit doorway. Ezra followed Kanan inside the cafe, and was pleasantly surprised. It was actually kind of cozy. The strong spices and sounds of conversations did as much to keep the air warm as the large fire pit in the room. Ezra stared at the fire as he followed Kanan up to a second floor balcony. It was sparely occupied and blocked some of the downstairs commotion. They sat and a service bot attached to a ceiling track took their order before it clattered off.

"Lets get you up to speed." Kanan said. He leaned forward, rubbing his hands together to warm them. Ezra pulled a knee up to his chest and rested his foot on the seat cushion, leaning his whole body into his leg. "A wound in the force is a disturbance caused by lose, usually the lose of life." Kanan said, adjusting his feet. "It isn't so much a place physically as it is a destabilization of the natural flow of the force."

"So how did it find us then?" Ezra said. "its just a place. I mean, it isn't alive, is it?"

Kanan shook his head and said, "I've never heard of a wound being able to do that. But something here was drawn to me as I was meditating about the death of my master, and I'd bet it was drawn to you when you dreamed about my death." The noise from the main floor grew louder, and Ezra scooted closer to Kanan to hear better. "A normal wound in the force can't pick and choose, it simply is. Whatever is here, its more than a distortion."

"You think whatever it is, is doing it on purpose?" Ezra said, doing his best to squash the uneasy in his gut.

"Not exactly." Kanan said. "It might have been a dark presence, but it wasn't malicious. It responded only when it felt my own dark memories. Even just a nightmare was enough to draw it in." Kanan said and watched as Ezra mulled the information over. The young padawan looked up at Kanan slowly, an idea dawning on his face.

"It moved. We felt it move," Ezra said. "Is there a chance its, a person?"

"That would be my guess. I mean I've never heard of it, but I'm pretty sure that it could happen." Kanan said. He saw Ezra raise an eyebrow and tilted his head in doubt. "Look this wasn't exactly a common topic back in the day so I'm doing the best with what I've got." Kanan said with a shrug and a cocky grin. Ezra glanced down at the burn marks on his cloak at the mention of the old Jedi order. Ezra knew that Kanan had been about his age when the Jedi had fallen. But feeling Kanan's old cloak fit him the same as it had Kanan, back when the burn marks happened, made it real. Ezra remembered his dreams from the last few days and wondered how Kanan had dealt with losing his master.

Kanan stiffened slightly as he felt Ezra's fear growing. Fear of lose, and pain from past abandonment. It haunted the boy, and Kanan could feel the nature of the disturbance being drawn to Ezra. It pulled at the boy's suffering and made it fresh again. Kanan tried to reach him, but there wasn't much room left in the boy's mind.

"Kanan," Ezra said in a hushed voice. "What if it is a person?" Ezra felt tired. Tired of the fear and lose, and seeing it all around him. The Empire had created so much suffering, and he could feel the weight of it all breaking him. The darkness seemed so vast, what could he do against it? Dragged to the edge, the disturbance resonated with him and returned him to his nightmares. This time the vision was far clearer than ever before. He saw Kanan, motionless at the Inquisitor's feet. Ezra could barely feel Kanan as their bond begin to go cold. It wasn't fear he felt anymore, but terror.

"No!" Ezra said as he closed his eyes and reached out, but this time he didn't feel Kanan die, he sensed the older Jedi somewhere past the darkness. He was surrounded in a haze but he knew he was there. As the Inquisitor stalked towards him, Ezra dropped to his knees and said, "Kanan...help."

It was a bittersweet compassion that embraced Ezra, the kind that came from someone who shared his lose without ignoring his suffering. Through their bond Ezra felt Kanan's concern for him. As Ezra let Kanan in he felt the disturbances's hold weaken and the nightmare tore itself apart. Ezra embraced his grief and lose, and instead of anger, felt compassion.

Ezra felt the droning of the distortion around him fade as its ability to use his fear weakened. His connection to the force become clearer, more focused.

Relieved, Kanan felt his padawan's mind grow peaceful, and rested a hand on Ezra's head. Ezra opened his eyes, a little shocked and embarrassed, and looked around to make sure no one had noticed. The din of conversation and music remained the same, as if nothing had happened.

"I uh...guess I kind of had a moment there."Ezra said, blushing slightly. Kanan chuckled and pulled Ezra into a tight side hug while ruffling the boy's hair. Ezra squirmed and playfully fought to get Kanan to stop, his face turning more red. "Come on! This isn't helping." Ezra said. Kanan let go and Ezra let out a sigh of relief.

"You might just become a Jedi after all." Kanan said. Ezra shrugged and smiled.

"I do what I can...master." Ezra said. He looked down and rubbed the floor with his foot. "Thanks Kanan." he said.

"You did good kid." Kanan said, leaning forward to be more at Ezra's eye level. "But there's still the matter of the distortion to attend to."

"What's the plan?" Ezra said.


	3. Siv

Chapter 3

Kanan watched from the cafe balcony. Below on the other side of the fire pit, Ezra was chatting with one of the bar keepers. The reptilian trandoshan seemed more than happy to chat with Kanan's apprentice. Even from across the room, he could easily see the two of them enthusiastically waving limbs around. It had been Ezra's idea to scope out the locals for information. The boy had thought they might open up more to a curious kid then an intimidating adult. A loud bang bounced across the cafe as the trandoshan slammed a hand down on the bar and let out a raspy laugh. Kanan caught a quick glance and a smirk from Ezra, letting him know things were under control.

The older Jedi slowly placed his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers together. He was still processing what had just happened with his padawan. Kanan had had a hunch the distortion would make Ezra confront his fear, but it had reacted much more strongly than he anticipated. After Ezra's fight with the Inquisitor, Kanan wasn't sure how the boy would react. It had been his hope that without the Inquisitor antagonizing the boy, Kanan would be able to help his padawan deal with his fears. Thankfully it worked, and Ezra got a taste of the Jedi way to counter act the Inquisitor's influence.

Kanan exhaled loudly through his nose. There had been a brief moment when Kanan wasn't sure which way Ezra would choose. Even though his faith in the boy had proven well founded, it reminded him just how much he didn't know about Ezra. Doing his best to relax, Kanan exhaled slowly again.

"Master Billaba, I don't know how you did this." Kanan said under his breath. Fond memories returned of his master's face whenever he caused her trouble. Although he couldn't remember exactly how she looked, he remember how he felt. How she made him want to be a better person. He saw Ezra leave the bar and couldn't keep from feeling proud of his young apprentice. He was a good kid, sometimes in spite of Kanan's teaching. As the boy approached the table he looked eager.

"I think I got us something." Ezra said. He sat down and slide over by Kanan. "See that mounted head over there?" Ezra said as he pointed across the room. Kanan leaned over to line up with where Ezra was pointing. High up on the wall in the shadows was a massive canine head. Kanan could just make out three rows of teeth and paper-thin eye slits. "The guy down there was saying those things use to be all over the forest when they first built the town." Kanan raised an eyebrow.

"Use to be?" Kanan said.

"Yeah, the lizard guy-" Ezra said.

"Trandoshan" Kanan said.

"Yeah, the trandoshan said they use to drag locals off the streets and into the forest." Ezra said, enjoying the slight shiver it gave Kanan. "But he says they all suddenly disappeared." Ezra paused and dropped his voice and leaned forward slightly. "Here's where it gets weird. About six or seven years ago, he said this imperial guy showed up, alone. The bar guy said he came into the cafe, asking about Jedi." Ezra said. Kanan squinted and frowned. He leaned back and folded his arms.

"An inquisitor." Kanan said. "That makes this...interesting."

"No kidding." Ezra said. "The trandoshan said he warned this...inquisitor about the monsters, but he went into the forest. He came out about a week or two later and the monsters haven't been seen since." Ezra watched as Kanan furrowed harder and closed his eyes to think. It took a while for him to open again.

"I might know what happened, with this info." Kanan said. Ezra perked up, eager to hear he helped move them closer to an answer. "If I'm right, we could run into something rather twisted and it will probably get messy. You sure you feel up for that?" Kanan said, locking eyes with his padawan. Ezra didn't look away and nodded.

"I'm feeling good, really. I want to undo whatever this inquisitor guy did. I don't care what the bar guy thinks, I can feel something wrong here." Ezra said. Kanan waited a few seconds, then nodded. Ezra said, "So what are we dealing with?"

"I'm not really sure of the details, but my guess is the inquisitor found a Jedi." Kanan said and sighed, a bit of gloom in his voice. "There were rumors a few years back of some inquisitors trying to turn Jedi to the dark side. Some of them might have even experimented on Jedi with the dark side." Kanan said. He watched Ezra swallowed nervously, but keep his face focused. Kanan felt Ezra's determination through their bond. "This disturbance could only be caused by someone with a strong connection to the force, and its probably the thing keeping those monsters away." Kanan said.

Ezra leaned back and folded his arms. Kanan's hesitations about his padawan confronting this disturbance in such a direct manner evaporated. He could feel the boy's resolve very clearly. The force had been with them so far, he thought. Why not finish what they started?

"First thing is to find the source. I hope you've been doing your meditation exercises." Kanan said. Ezra smiled sheepishly and folded his arms tighter. "Don't worry, I'll talk you through the steps." Kanan said. "Start with your breathing, slow in, slower out." Ezra closed his eyes and rested his hands palm up on his thighs. He straightened his posture and started to get his breathing rhythm going. Kanan felt a twinge of self consciousness from the boy, but it passed.

"Good." Kanan said. "Feel the force around you. Feel it connecting you to me. Follow the connections out, expand your reach to the rest of the room. Can you see it?" Kanan said. Ezra slowly nodded.

"The distortion is making it hazy, but I can feel everyone in the room. Its a lot...I'm having a hard time keeping all of it together." Ezra said, his eyes tightening.

"Don't try to hold on to all of it. Let it pass through you, and focus only on disturbance." Kanan said. "Now, just in the room, where is the distortion the strongest?" Ezra's body relaxed, and his steady breathing continued for a few moments.

"There." Ezra said with barely any movement. "Its stronger against the front door."

"Now, keep yourself open. Let the force continue to flow through you, and follow the distortion. Find the place with the most disturbance." Kanan said. Ezra's face furrowed and his body tensed up, but he kept his breathing steady. Kanan supported his padawan with calming waves, and Ezra's body relaxed a bit.

"I've...I think I'm closing in on him." Ezra said. "I can see a...hole in the force. A little ways outside of town. That direction." Ezra said, lifting his arm and pointing. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he adjusted to the light again. Kanan stood up, and Ezra quickly followed.

"Very nice work Ezra." Kanan said. Ezra shrugged and gave a genuine smile.

"I've got a good teacher, I guess." Ezra said.

"You're darn right you do." Kanan said with fake smugness. "Maybe not the best but I am pretty close."

"Well, I did say I never wanted the best." Ezra said.

"I know." Kanan said. "We all have to make sacrifices kid. Yours is the burden of a perfect mentor." Kanan said, standing up tall and pretending to brush something off his chest with the sophisticated wave of his hand. Ezra rolled his eyes and snarked as they walked out the door.

Out in the forest, a very large canine with three rows of teeth perked up and looked towards the town. Its ears twitched and flicked back and forth. The thin slits of its eyes furrowed slightly as its nose wrinkled up. Long, slow inhales, followed by a single exhale that dragged out of the creature's body. A trail of vapor was the only thing left hanging in the air as the massive canine dashed off into the underbrush.

* * *

"There wouldn't happen to be any Jedi tricks for staying warm?" Ezra said. He rubbed his hands together and exhaled into them. Kanan looked back at his apprentice as the boy tucked his hands under his arms. The temperature wasn't below freezing, but the humidity definitely made up for it. The cold managed to find its way past their cloaks and seep into their bones. Ezra's teeth had been chatting every now and then behind him.

"I heard rumors once of a Jedi who could start fires with just the force." Kanan said. Without looking behind him, he felt Ezra's interest rise. Kanan said, "But I'm partial to using heat-sticks."

"Oh." Ezra said, clearly hoping the conversation had gone another direction. "That's...cool." They'd nearly reached where he had felt the hole. Even with better control over it, the disturbance continued to drain his focus. Ezra shivered, wondering how anyone force sensitive could live with this for so long. Kanan picked up on his padawan's diminished enthusiasm and decided to let the boy conserve his energy. They both walked quietly for a while.

The forest blocked most of the town's light, even though it wasn't that far behind them. There was plenty of walking room between the massive trees, but there was an unnatural dimness, even with their flashlights. The damp leaves squished underfoot, and Ezra caught a whiff of their decomposition every few steps. He followed close behind Kanan. The disturbance was generating illusions, making it feel like people were appearing and disappearing just outside of his vision.

"Wait." Kanan said softly. He stopped suddenly and put his hand back. Still looking to the side, Ezra's chest ran into Kanan's hand and startled the young padawan. Ezra crouched instinctively and looked around, sensing Kanan's frustration.

"I can feel something. Its been following us for a while, but I can't pin point it this close to the disturbance." Kanan said. He let his hand drift closer to his blaster.

Sensing something behind him, Ezra turned and dropped to one knee. He waited with his arm up, ready to fire his wrist shooter. He noticed vapor in the air and realized he was breathing fast. Frustrated at the many presences fading in and out around them, he listened and heard only the rain filtering down through the trees. He turn back towards Kanan, and out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of a large canine head, half hidden behind a tree trunk.

"Karabast!" Ezra said, getting off a shot before falling backwards. Kanan swung around, blaster in hand. The sound of wet, heavy foot falls receded back into the forest, leaving only Ezra's heavy breathing.

"It was one of those monsters with the teeth!" Ezra said, reaching back to pull his hood back on. "Did you see-" He was cut off as a massive canine lunged from the side, landing almost on top of Ezra. The boy scooted backwards, but the beast's long tail rushed underneath its body and wrapped around Ezra's leg. It dragged Ezra back towards it and snapped at the boy's throat. Ezra dodged to the side, and the monster's teeth grazed his shoulder, slicing through his cloak and skin.

"Holy-!" Kanan said and fired a few blaster bolts into the monster's side. Startled and singed, the beast turned and snarled at Kanan. Frantically, Ezra fired a shot from his wrist shooter at the beast's underbelly. Yellow electricity wrapped over its body, and the massive canine convulsed momentary. The tail loosen, and Ezra slide backwards until he hit a tree. He raised his wrist shooter but couldn't get it to stop shaking. It took a moment for Ezra to realize Kanan had jumped in front of him. The snap hiss of his mentor's lightsaber echoed off the trees, casting a blue highlight over everything. The beast hesitated, coolly making up its mind. It whipped its tail at Kanan, who nimbly dodged the first few attacks, and grazed the last strike with his lightsaber. With a slight yip, the monster tucked its tail behind it and took a step back, then turned and ran off.

Kanan waited a while before turning his lightsaber off. Feeling for his padawan, he sensed the boy was in pain, but for the most part felt safe. He picked up his flashlight from where he had dropped it and scanned the area around them. A little extra cautious, he even checked up the trees just to be sure. Ezra stood up and flinched a little when he pushed up with his arm. He looked down and noticed the cuts in his cloak. He felt a twinge of disappointment that he had gotten Kanan's old cloak damaged. Ezra felt the frayed edges and his fingers grazed his cuts. He winced, and looked up at Kanan as the older Jedi walked up.

"Thanks for the save." Ezra said as Kanan inspected the boy's cuts up close.

"Thanks for being the bait." Kanan said, winking at his padawan. Ezra managed a laugh, not entirely certain his mentor wasn't joking. Kanan reached into his cloak and pulled out a small ointment tube wrapped in medical fabric. "Alright, lets patch you up before more of those things come back." Kanan said as he unscrewed the tube of medicine. Ezra gingerly pulled his vest off and inhaled sharply as he pulled his arm free of his jump suit. Having half his upper body exposed to the frigid air, he winced as his muscles shivered.

"Ah!" Ezra said surprised as Kanan dabbed the gashes with a piece of gaze he had torn from the wrappings.

"All those layers and that thing still cut this far." Kanan said a little impressed. "Do me a favor and don't tell Hera about this." Kanan said. He could still feel Ezra's tension, but it lightened a bit with the levity. Kanan rubbed some of the ointment onto Ezra's cuts, trying to be as gentle as possible. Ezra relaxed with a sigh as the immediate area around the gashes went numb.

"I..." Ezra said, a little self conscious. "I sensed your feelings during the attack. It just...happened. I knew what you would do. Kind of the way you just know things in a dream." Ezra stiffened as Kanan touched a new cut, then eased back as it went numb.

"That's a natural development of a force bond." Kanan said as he worked, happy to hear his padawan had progressed that far in opening himself up. "As we trust each other, the force allows us to connect at a subconscious level. We can work together with the same mindset." Ezra remained quiet in thought as Kanan finished applying the salve. After a final inspection, Kanan wrapped Ezra's wound and used the sticky ointment left on his hand to glue the end of the gaze down. He helped Ezra get his arm back into his jumpsuit. He finished putting away his med kit as Ezra pulled his vest and cloak back on. The young padawan curiously moved his arm around, finding the limits of his motion.

"Ready to move?" Kanan said as he turned around. A few meters away his flashlight lit up a figure standing, tall and pale. Both Ezra and Kanan jumped back with a yelp.

"What are you doing out here, Jedi?" the figure said. He was human, and looked like he spent more time in the woods then the town. Kanan stood up straight, the shock having worn off, replaced by surprise.

"I...I can barely feel your presence, even this close." Kanan said. "You're...the source."


	4. Choice

Chapter 4

Ezra watched the stranger, waiting for him to respond to Kanan's observation. The older Jedi kept his flashlight trained on the stranger's face, who raised his hand to block the bright beam.

"Hey, you mind moving the light a bit?" The stranger said. Kanan lowered the light until it was pointed at the man's chest. "Much better." the stranger said.

A subtle warning from Kanan nudged Ezra's mind, and he felt a faint impression to look closer at the stranger. Ezra glanced at the gap in the stranger's cloak, held open by his raised hand, and noticed the tip of a blaster rifle. Ezra's mouth pursed slightly and he very gradually dropped one foot back, ready to move if he needed to. Kanan sensed his padawan's caution and was grateful that the force distortions hadn't muddied their connection. This close to the source, the turbulence was strong enough to give Kanan goosebumps. Without being able to sense the young man's intentions, Kanan didn't want to take any of his usual chances.

"Who are you?" Kanan said.

"That's what I came to ask you." The stranger said. There was an stiff silence before the young man managed a broken smile. "The name's Siv," he said and lowered his hand out toward the skeptical Jedi. Kanan squinted an eye as he looked Siv over one more time. Still apprehensive, he slowly reached out and shook the young man's hand. He thought about giving fake names but decided it wouldn't make much difference.

"I'm Kanan, and this is Ezra." Kanan said, nodding to the side.

"He's your padawan, right? I imagine there aren't a lot of those now a days." Siv said. Ezra felt unnerved when the young man glanced at him. There was something broken about the way Siv looked at him.

Kanan raised an eyebrow, a little more on guard, and said, "You seem to know a few things about Jedi."

Siv froze for a split second before he said, "Well one of them use to live here a while ago. I picked up a thing or two." He shrugged and adjusted the strap for his rifle. "Look, I've got a small place near here. I'd much rather chat there if you don't mind."

Kanan nodded and gestured forward. "We'll follow you," he said. Siv turned his rifle's light on and headed off at a brisk pace. Kanan looked at Ezra. The boy gave a questioning look, and Kanan nodded grimly before they followed after Siv at a distance.

Keeping close, Ezra whispered just loud enough for his mentor to hear. "I've got a bad feeling about this Kanan." he said.

"I know, keep your guard up." Kanan said, his voice low but strong. "I'm not sensing anything...evil, but there is a lot of darkness around him. Its making it hard to get a read on him"

"Isn't darkness the same thing as evil?" Ezra said, a little unsure.

"Darkness is a natural part of the universe. Evil often uses it, but darkness doesn't always equal evil. Sometimes, you have to pass through darkness to find the good." Kanan said. "We're here to close the wound, and he's the wound."

Ezra bit his lip and followed until they came to a stop by a particularly large tree. Siv swung his rifle onto his back and started climbing. Kanan held his light up to the tree and noticed handholds disguised as bark. In the dim light they completely blended into the tree. Kanan, then Ezra, followed up the tree. They reached the hut well after Ezra had started to get nervous about the height. Grateful to be done searching for handholds in the dark, Ezra pulled himself up into the hut.

"Pardon the mess, the last visitor I had was...well I guess I've never had a visitor." Siv said, resting his rifle against the wall. He plugged a power cell into a heater hanging from the ceiling and dialed it up. Ezra looked around and noticed the small living space wrapped all the way around the tree. In a lot of ways it reminded him of his tower on Lothal. Siv's hut was almost all wood and sparsely furnished. The main light came from the heater, giving everything a worn look with long shadows.

"I'll be honest," Siv said, "When I heard blaster fire, I thought I'd only find what the dogs didn't like when I got there." He offered some wood blocks for Kanan and Ezra to sit on, and took a block for himself. "Imagine my surprise when I see you putting a lightsaber away." Ezra felt another chill when he realized Siv had been watching them since the monster had fled.

Kanan sensed Ezra's discomfort, and felt his own patients running low. He wasn't interested in spending more time here then he and Ezra needed to get answers. "You mentioned you knew a Jedi that use to live around here. Do you know what happened to him?" Kanan said. He leaned forward and Siv hunched a little, adjusting his seat but didn't say anything. Kanan waited, but Siv wouldn't talk.

Ezra said, "Look, we talked to a guy in town. He said someone from the empire came looking for Jedi." Siv's expression broke for a split second, and his eyes took on a hollow look. The distortion shifted for a moment. Ezra looked at Kanan, making sure the older Jedi felt the shift as well.

Kanan said, "Siv, you know who we are. You knew we would ask about this." In the long shadows, Siv's face looked much older.

"I..." Siv said, his voice was steady but hollow. He looked at Ezra and said, "He's too young," Siv turned towards Kanan, "but you. You're old enough to have seen the Jedi hunts." Kanan nodded slowly, and Siv looked down.

"He's gone. The Jedi you're looking for he's...gone." Siv said. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a piece of metal. Holding it up in the light, Ezra could see it was the top of a lightsaber hilt. One side had a been charred and warped, cut by another lightsaber. Siv put the object back into his pocket and said, "I was about your padawan's age when I watched my master die, then that inquisitor made sure I felt it. He said if I wouldn't join him, he'd make sure I'd never use the force again."

Ezra remembered that the bar keeper had said the inquisitor had been in the forest for weeks. His stomach wrapped around itself as he imagined what he'd spent the time doing to Siv. Kanan's face remained stoic, but his voice was gentle.

"I know what its like to feel a bond like that break." Kanan said.

"No, you really don't" Siv said, his voice full of bitterness. "The inquisitor didn't just break it. He used the breach to get inside my head. I couldn't get him out for days and the whole time I could feel how much he enjoyed my suffering. He thrived on it. There was no where I could go he wouldn't find me." Siv clenched and opened his fist a few times, taking a ragged breath.

"I'm sorry you suffered so much." Kanan said. "That's what caused this wound in the force then, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it was the inquisitor's final stroke." Siv said, "He caused so much suffering I eventually cut myself off from the force, just to get away."

"We can't undo the past." Kanan said, his voice solemn. "But I'm sure we can help you reconnect with the force."

Ezra felt the distortion shift enough to make him feel a little dizzy. Kanan leaned away from Siv quickly.

"No." Siv said darkly. "I don't think you understand. My connection with the force only brought me suffering. Why would I want that back?" Kanan's eyes narrowed and he tensed up. Siv said, "In fact, anyone connected to the force can only bring suffering. The only logical choice is to remove them."

Kanan sensed Ezra panic and clenched his jaw when he saw the muzzle of a blaster emerge from Siv's cloak, aimed at Kanan's chest.

"Now." Siv said. "I think its time to end some suffering."

Reaching out with the force, Kanan struggled to see through the distortion swirling around Siv. What he could make out was mostly confusion and pain. He did sense a shred of conflict, a faint amount of doubt. There was still a part of Siv that might be reasoned with.

"Why didn't you just kill us in the forest?" Kanan said, trying to dig at the conflict within the young man. "Why bother bringing us here?"

"I thought I'd give you a chance..." Siv said, "See if I could show you a better way." Siv's face contorted in a grimace. "But you Jedi are so arrogant...you honestly thought you'd wave your hand and make everything better?" Siv shook his head and coughed out a single laugh. "What could someone as blind as you possibly offer me?"

"Nothing, it would seem." Kanan said, his voice was deadly calm but Ezra sensed a twinge of disappointment and sadness from his master.

"What about you, padawan?" Siv said as he looked over at the boy. "The force will only bring suffering into your life. Are you willing to cut your losses? Be free of your connections and you'll be free from suffering."

Ezra felt Siv's hollow eyes search him, crawl across him. Ezra shivered, hearing Siv's words echo things he had said to himself when he had been on his own. Ezra was angry at first, angry that he could see a part of himself in Siv, and disgusted by it. He didn't want anything to do with this, but knew there was already a part of Siv inside him. Despite his anger, Ezra could still feel Kanan's sadness through their bond, and Ezra felt his revulsion shift to pity. Looking back into Siv's desperate gaze, Ezra saw a version of himself without Kanan, and he felt sadness too.

"Everyone suffers." Ezra said with a soft voice. "Its only wishful thinking that you can avoid it. What you're offering...doesn't exist."

Siv's face hardened, and his grip on his gun tightened. "So be it," he said.

Siv's hand flew out of his cloak, throwing a cloud of dirt into Kanan's face. The Jedi's hands jerked up in surprise, clamping his eyes shut and loosing focus. Siv used the distraction and aimed at Kanan, pulling the trigger.

"No!" Ezra said, throwing out his hand and wrenching Siv's blaster at the roof.

The blaster fired shots through the wall and roof. Kanan dropped low at the sound of the bolts whizzing past. His eyes shut and watery, he reached with the force and sent a blast towards the void. He heard Siv hit the far wall with a grunt. One arm outstretched toward Siv, keeping him pinned against the wall, Kanan reached toward the wall opposite the fallen Jedi.

Sensing Kanan's plan, Ezra reached out with the force and started pushing the wall. The wood creaked and splintered, rapidly coming apart under their combined focus. A blaster bolt glanced Kanan's thigh, and with a pained grunt the Jedi turned his whole focus toward Siv, pinning the young man's blaster against the wall. sensing Kanan's injury, Ezra redoubled his concentration on the wall. The last of the wood gave way and Ezra let a large section of the hut drop to the forest floor.

"Jump Ezra!" Kanan said through gritted teeth. Siv was slowly sliding down the wall, his blaster inching their direction. Kanan sensed Ezra's uncertainty and said, "Jump and I'll catch you"

Ezra swallowed hard and nodded to himself a few times before running through the opening. He leapt out into the frigid air and reached out with the force searching for a landing. When he couldn't sense the ground, he looked back over his shoulder in time to see Kanan exit the hut curled into a ball amidst blaster bolts. Ezra felt the force around him tighten and slow his decent. Kanan caught up with Ezra just before they reached the ground, and together they slowed just enough. Ezra tucked and rolled, wet leaves flying off his back as he looked up. Kanan landed less gracefully, still recovering from holding Siv against the wall and his blaster burn he landed hard and stumbled forward. He clamped a hand onto onto his thigh and inhaled sharply through his teeth. He looked to make sure Ezra was okay.

"I think he's getting his rifle." Ezra said, looking back at Kanan. The older Jedi shook off his exhaustion and figured which direction the town was.

"Back to the ship, don't stop till we get there." Kanan said. They both ran, far enough away to have time to sense a rifle shot to dodge, but it never came. Ezra slipped on some wet leaves but Kanan caught him while they continued running. After a while they reached the town, sprinting past curious onlookers until they reached the base of the tower. Out of breath, Ezra slammed the elevator button and rested his head against the wall. He looked back down the main road towards the forest but didn't see Siv anywhere. The doors opened and they both got in. Ezra let out a sigh of relief as the elevator doors shut and they began going up. He leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, one leg kicked out in front of him. He looked up at Kanan, who was leaning forward, hands rested on his knees and still panting.

"Never...never a dull moment with you." Ezra said, swallowing as he finished catching his breath.

"I have a hard time...believing this is anything new to you." Kanan said. Breathing almost back to normal, they both chuckled, feeling the tension flow out of their bodies. The door chimed and opened to the howls of the wind rushing up the building side. Pulling his cloak tight, Ezra followed Kanan across the walkway and into the phantom. The back hatch closed as Kanan started the engines up and notified the tower they were departing. He didn't wait for a reply and lifted quickly into the storm, setting a the autopilot for the Ghost. Sagging into the chair, Kanan sighed and cranked the heat up, relaxing as his bones started to warm back up.

He looked back and saw Ezra holding his cloak. The boy was rubbing the cuts and the cloak was picked clean, a pile of wet leaves and twigs at his feet. Kanan walked back and pulled down a seat next to his padawan. Ezra looked over at Kanan.

"I'm sorry about your cloak." Ezra said. "It probably means a lot to you...I'll be sure to get Hera's help patching it up."

"No no no, Hera can't see this," Kanan said, frantically waving his hands back and forth, "But I think you'll do a good job fixing it yourself." Ezra tried to stifle a lop sided smile that grew serious. He searched the cloak until he found the old blaster burns. He held them between his legs and rubbed his thumbs gently over the marks.

"Why did you keep it?" Ezra said softly. "Why remind yourself of what happened." Ezra kept his eyes on the cloak and held the fabric still.

Kanan inhaled slowly and reached out, running his fingers over the disfigured cloth. He paused over the burns, and then lifted the cloak and spread it across both of their laps. The scorch marks seemed much small when looking at the whole cloak. Kanan ran his hand across the whole length of his old robe.

"I was wearing it when my Master died." Kanan said, looking at the burns, "But I wore it more when she was alive." Kanan closed his eyes and said, "It helps remind me of what she taught me, of the goodness she inspired." Ezra remained quiet for a while, slowly moving his hand over the cloak.

"In Siv's hut, I changed how I saw him because of how you felt about him." Ezra said. "Despite his...darkness, you still seemed to see something good in him." Kanan nodded, feeling proud of his padawan's choice.

"We aren't made by our experiences Ezra. We choose who we are by the meanings we place on our experiences." Kanan said. Ezra's face tilted, slightly confused but with a hint of comprehension. "Basically, we are what we focus on. Both Siv and I lost our masters, but Siv let himself be consumed by his suffering." Kanan paused, and Ezra felt a glimpse of the suffering Kanan endured when his bond was severed with his master. "Experiences will always be a mix of peace and suffering, but by focusing on the good, it changes what the suffering means."

Kanan watched Ezra mull the information over and realized he might have delved too deep into Jedi philosophy. A sense of peace settled onto Ezra and crossed between them and Kanan placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder. The older Jedi chuckled when he felt how wet Ezra's cloths still were. He got up and pulled a few towels out of a compartment in the wall. He draped one over Ezra's head before returning to the cockpit. Ezra chuckled from under the towel and started rubbing his hair dry.

* * *

"Looks like you two had fun." Zeb said, grinning ear to ear as Ezra and Kanan climbed aboard the Ghost. Still dripping, Ezra's boots squished as he walked up to Zeb.

"Why don't we make it the three of us." Ezra said with a grin, spreading his dripping arms and lunging at Zeb. Ezra scampered over the angry Lasat as he growled and tried to pick the boy off of him.

"Karabast! You smell like a wet pup! Get off me you little wamp-rat!" Zeb said as they banged their way down the hall to their bunk. Hera waited for Zeb and Ezra to fall into their room and shut the door, muffling their growls. She walked up to Kanan with a grin.

"I take it your little adventure went well?" Hera said.

"A little wind and rain kept things interesting." Kanan said, sarcastic as usual.

"uh huh..." Hera said. "Wind and rain, and blaster fire." She said as she tapped the burn on Kanan's leg. The Jedi stiffened, more at being caught than in any pain. "You should fill me in on everything," Hera said as she walked back to the cockpit, "after you get cleaned up."

Kanan huffed a laugh out his nose, and went to his bunk.


	5. Epilogue

Epilogue

Kanan was in the kitchen getting a quick meal before he went to fill Hera in on the day's events. While his meal cooked, he leaned against the counter with his arms crossed and appreciated the feeling of clean, dry cloths. The door slide open and Ezra stumble in. The boy's jumpsuit was rolled down to his waist and he was just pulling his shirt over his head. His mess of hair, still a little damp, poofed upward as his shirt popped down over his face. Kanan exhaled a chuckle through his nose and Ezra looked up with a lop sided smile as he tucked his shirt in.

"What's for dinner?" Ezra said and sniffed a few times. Kanan smiled and shook his head as he pulled another tall cup out of the cupboard and placed it next to his on the counter. The timer dinged and he poured steaming soup into each cup, handing one to Ezra.

"Hot! Hot! Ah!" Ezra said, passing the cup between his hands as he blew on the top a few times before taking a cautious sip. He leaned against the counter next to Kanan while he enjoyed his soup. The kitchen stayed uncommonly quiet as the two savored their hot meal, pushing out the last bits of cold from the forest and rain. With a content sigh, Ezra finished the last of his soup. Nearly finished himself, Kanan noticed his padawan rolling his cup between his hands. The boy looked thoughtful as Kanan took another sip, feeling a conversation coming. Ezra placed his cup on the counter and walked towards the door, but stopped and turned back towards the older Jedi.

"Hey Kanan," Ezra said. "I know we joke a lot, and I want to keep it that way..." He rubbed his arm for a bit, then said, "But I just wanted to say thanks, I mean, I..." Ezra turned a little red and said, "I just wanted to make sure you knew...I was grateful...for everything." Ezra kept his eyes on the ground, turning a darker red.

Kanan put his soup on the counter and stepped over to Ezra. He put a hand on Ezra's shoulder, and then pulled him into a hug.

A little surprised, it took Ezra a second before he returned the embrace. He felt the heat in his cheeks slowly dissolve and he tightened his hold a little. A few long moments passed and Ezra felt Kanan's chest vibrate as the older Jedi talked.

"You're a good kid, Ezra." Kanan said. He constricting his arms tightly, hearing Ezra start to laugh and squirm against the rising compression. Kanan released him and rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I can see you becoming a great Jedi, Ezra." Kanan said.

"Thank you...Master." Ezra said, glancing up at Kanan as he blushed a little.

"Now, I think you have a cloak to fix, and I have an overly involved pilot to report to." Kanan said. The intercom buzzed and both Kanan and Ezra stiffened.

"I heard that." Hera said, her voice echoing from the comm. Ezra snickered at Kanan's scrunched up face as the older Jedi opened the kitchen door and headed for the cockpit. Ezra went his own way, looking for the little astromech.

"Hey Chopper!" Ezra said, "You wouldn't have a sowing kit inside you, would you?"


	6. Chapter 2 - Hunted

**Chapter 2**

The entire metropolis held Kanan down and wasn't letting him come up for air. Eyes squinted nearly shut, he adjusted his weight to the other leg and leaned more into the wall. A clammy, rank blast shoved against him as a speeder flew uncomfortably close to their rooftop, and turning up a fresh mix of the city below and vehicle exhaust from above. It was a smell Kanan preferred not being reminded about. He exhaled slowly in a vain attempt to get the sweaty garbage and after-burn stench away from him. He watched his sigh move in the moist air before it was swept away. Compared with the smell, the humidity was much worse. His face pinched a bit as he peeled his soaked shirt away from his body. Just the sound of the fabric unsticking was enough to make a mental note to have Chopper erase this entire planet from their star charts. Wiping another dusty bead of sweat away from his eyes, the outline of the skyscrapers briefly lost their focus, glowing through the haze in the night.

"You're sure you don't want this back?" Ezra said, his voice distorted through the helmet. The young apprentice sat on a large power cell and swung his legs out to the sides. Just as drenched in the humidity, the boy seemed to be handling it much better than Kanan. It might be the fact that the helmet was climate controlled.

"Its OK," Kanan said, "its not like you have a collection of helmets. I might have held it against you if you had a large, ever growing collection from which, hypothetically speaking of course, I imagine any single helmet would have worked perfectly for-"

"Alright, alright!" Ezra said, slouching forward and brought his heels back into the power cell with a metallic thud. "I already said I'm sorry for forgetting my gear. Six times, at least. I thought Jedi were suppose to be compassionate." The boy started swinging his legs back and forth again, teasing a little pout.

Kanan saw his smirk faltered for a split second in the helmet's reflection. He quickly smirked again and more lop sided than before, but not before Ezra noticed. "Compassion was me giving you my gear." Kanan said. "But I wouldn't be a good mentor if I didn't remind you just how compassionate I am."

Ezra snorted and leaned back, looking up at the underside of hundreds of hover cars and speeders. He wondered what it was he had felt from Kanan just then. Ezra couldn't quite put it into words, or even be sure he had felt anything at all. He was still getting a handle on the Jedi bond the two of them shared, and there was a lot of things he didn't know about. There had been a few moments when they fought together that the bond grew very clear. There had even been a moment, when they had fought the inquisitor, that Kanan's movements had felt like second nature to Ezra. Not just that, it was like he had know the older Jedi's training his whole life, as if Kanan's experiences had been his own. But the moment had been brief, and Ezra had only been able to glean a small amount of Kanan's training from the connection.

Ezra looked at the back of Kanan's head as his master absently brushed more dust and sweat from his face. When Kanan had gotten back, Hera had made sure he was back to full health before they finished their hyperspace jump. He joked and acted the same as before, sometimes even better than before. By all accounts he was back to normal. But their bond hadn't improved since the rescue. And the little ticks like before were getting more frequent. Something was off, but Ezra wasn't sure how to bring it up.

He was jerked from his thoughts when his comm in his headgear. Kanan glanced back when he heard Ezra jump.

"Spectre One, anything?" Hera said with obvious exhaustion in her voice.

"Uhh, Spectre Six here, no sightings so far." Ezra said.

"Spectre Six?" Hera's said, then sighed heavier than usual. "Where is your helme-ah, right here. In the cockpit. Right were you said you wouldn't forget it." There was another long exhale. "You know what, doesn't matter. This day has been one giant mess, lets just cut our losses and check back tomorrow morning. I'm going to bed boys."

Ezra's reply was cut off as the comm went dead.

"What'd she say?" Kanan said.

Ezra hopped down and said, "You mean between her sighing?" He smiled at Kanan's smirk hiding skills. There was only a single twitch in the corner of his cheek. Ezra pushed a button on his helmet and the front visor slip open. He balked as humidity and stench instantly soaked into his face and lungs. "She said we can try again tomorrooOoOh Rancor farts! How did you survive out here without a mask?" Ezra said, covering his nose.

Kanan stretched, groaning in the process. "The real question is how are you going to survive Zeb when you get back. He was down here for hours this morning, can't imagine what your room must smell like by now." he said, finishing his stretch in time to watch the color drain from Ezra's face.

The boy looked around frantically, thinking of options before he pleadingly looked up and whispered, "Can I stay in your room tonight?"

"Yeah yeah, I've got a spare bunk if its really that bad." Kanan said with a chuckle, then got a little somber. "But honestly, it's Zeb we're talking about, we'll both probably need re-breather masks tonight, wherever we end up sleeping."

* * *

Perched high up on a nearby skyscraper, a concealed figure stepped out from behind a flashing billboard. He raised his gloved hand, the metal spikes on the back reflecting the changing billboard's lights. He adjusted a small dial on the side of his helmet's thin visor, maxing out the zoom on the human man and boy far below. He triple checked their identities and matched them with the images he had been given. If it wasn't for his helmet, he would have spit. "Damn Jedi, they always thought they can't be surprised."

They were finally on the move, likely returning to their ship. Boushh had been disappointing when the Lasat had shown up at the drop in the morning. It meant he had had to kill their contact to buy more time. And it had paid off. Each hour he had watched the Jedi grow more and more exhausted. The bounty hunter raised his other arm, detonator in hand. He rhythmically bobbed his hand in sync with the Jedi's steps, measuring the distance. Watching him get closer and closer.

* * *

Ezra pulled the hem of his damp shirt out and back a few times, trying to cool himself down. He followed close beside Kanan as they came up to their speeder. Kanan pulled out the starter key and froze. Ezra felt a warning through the force just as Kanan reached out and pushed a button on Ezra's helmet, sliding the visor back into place. The helmet sealed just as the speeder exploded. Ezra crossed his arms over his face and was thrown back into the air. He landed hard on his shoulder with a grunt as he rolled towards the roof's edge. A few feet from the long drop, Ezra slid to stop. He quickly stood up, and calmed himself with a few steady breaths as he looked around. Steam rose from his chest and the front of his legs, but the humidity was already starting to replace the moisture the blast had evaporated.

Even before the smoke could start clearing, Ezra walked through the burning haze to where he sensed his master. He found Kanan on his side, not moving.

* * *

Noise.

It was enough noise to make Kanan forget what silence sounded like. Or was it so much silence he thought it was noise?

His breathing rhythm was balanced but short as he tried to clear his head. Something was hitting him he realized.

Each time he tried to focus what was hitting him, a dozen others noises would weave tighter and scrabble everything all over again. Despite the difficulty focusing, Kanan could still sensed his padawan somewhere beside him. If Ezra was hitting him, maybe something was wrong. Maybe he needed to wake up.

Kanan opened his eyes and started to cough, then groan as he rolled onto this back.

"Kanan!" Ezra said with more concern than excitement. "Hey are you alright?" Kanan sat up and kept coughing, taking a moment to focus.

"I'm OK, I'm Ok." Kanan said between coughs, waving the smoke from his face. Ezra helped Kanan stand up, flinching as Kanan put weight down onto the shoulder Ezra had landed on. Once Kanan was up and stable, Ezra pulled of his helmet and put it on Kanan, sealing it and letting it filter out the smoke. Ezra pulled his shirt up over his nose and held it up tight over his mouth. The smoke stung his eyes and he focused on taking shorter breaths to keep the smoke out.

Kanan got out a few more muffled coughs, along with a couple deep breaths. "Thanks kid." He said "But we should probably get far away from here"

"And here I was just starting to enjoy the weather." Ezra said, stifling a small cough.

Kanan pointed towards the edge of the roof, and together they both jumped.

* * *

Boushh's speeder hovered over the burned out remains, blowing the smoke off the roof. His snarled as his visor swept the area. "Damn Jedi...they always thought they could hide." His visor finished its scanning and highlighted footprints leading off the rooftop. The bounty hunter revved his speeder and dove over the edge, down into the city depths.


	7. Hunted 02

He barely heard himself over the wind outside his helmet. "Jumping was a bad idea," Ezra said. Their speed fluctuated, turning his stomach a bit. He glanced over at Kanan, the boy's brow furrowed as the wind wicked more of Kanan's blood off his face. The older Jedi had started to fade a bit somewhere after the first hundred stories. Ezra could feel his mentor's support fading more and more. The wind pulled at Ezra faster as the street finally came into focus. "Nope, just fine. Take you're old man nap right now. Perfect timing." Ezra said, pushing the panic away and trying to stay calm. Kanan began to fall faster, pulling Ezra down with him.

The boy grunted as he readjusted his grip, putting himself between the rising pavement and his master. Ezra extended both arms down and his eyes squished shut. Drawing on every gentle thought he could, Ezra thought about himself slowing down. He flinched as Kanan slammed into his back, but managed to balance their combined weight. Sweat soaked hair dripped onto the helmet visor as the street rushed up to stop them. Ezra pulled in his arms and legs just before the ground hit him. The satisfaction of actually landing on his feet was over in an instant as his master's weight connected. The boy's chest was smashed down into his knees as Ezra's breath rushed out of him. Kanan bounced off Ezra and spilled onto the street. A passer by shrieked and jumped back, but most only glanced and moved around them.

Gulping in breaths, Ezra staggered over to Kanan and began pulling the older Jedi up. The crowd moving by began to spin around him as Ezra gasped in more air. It felt like he was swallowing gallons but none of it was getting used. He stumbled and Kanan dropped a bit before someone picked up the older Jedi. Lightheaded as he was, suddenly losing the pressure of Kanan's body gave Ezra a feeling of weightlessness. The boy put his hands on his knees, squinting his eyes to make everything stop spinning.

"You're human, aren't you?" A deep voice said next to Ezra. "Didn't think you're kind could survive a fall like that."

A rough hand grabbed most of Ezra's shirt and lifted him up. Everything spun again before he landed in the back of a vehicle. Kanan was dropped next to him, gentler than Ezra had been, and the speeder jumped into the air. Ezra was pushed back into the seat as they rushed forward and upward into the smoke and dust.

"So what happened? You jump out of a moving speeder, or get thrown out?" The driver said.

Ezra shook his head and blinked a few times, finally getting some focus enough to see straight. The speeder driver was a species Ezra had never seen before. He was big, with two hands on the steering wheel and two more hands gesturing in the air as he talked.

"I mean, I've met plenty of humans, I don't mean to sound like I've never met a human before," The driver's belly laugh rumbled the speeder "I just never thought you're lot were made for such rapid vertical travel. But I'd be a motherless gundark if I said you didn't give my old hearts a jump, watching you fly past my window like you did. Thought I'd land to find nothing but a puddle," The driver slapped one hand on his massive thigh while stretching another along the seat top. "Imagine my surprise to see you two crawling away." The driver looked back at Ezra for the first time, and the boy caught a hint of seriousness on the driver's voice. "Seeing you trying to get away so fast, seemed to me you were needing to get somewhere sooner than you could."

A long stare followed. The driver kept an eye on Ezra and one on the road. Searching for any hints in the driver that they were in danger, Ezra eventually managed a slow nod.

"Well than!" The driver said with a smile before turning all eyes back to the skies ahead. One of his non-steering hands pointed a thumb back at Kanan. "How's you're friend doing?"

Kanan wasn't awake yet, but his steady breathing was a good sign. Ezra checked the hit on Kanan's head but all that was left was dried blood in the shallow cut. Pushing a button on his helmet, the visor lifted with a squeak and a hiss. The driver glanced back as Ezra removed his helmet. The boy dropped the helmet in his lap and crossed his arms over it.

"Bit young aren't you?" The driver said. "To be making the kinds of jump you two took, that is."

Ezra managed a weak smile as he rested his chin on the helmet. "Its usually his idea" He said with a slight nod towards Kanan.

"Hmmm. Taking risks like that, a person is either stupid, or stupid courageous." The driver said. "Either way he's stupid. Maybe you should think about finding someone else to spend your time with."

A soft chuckle that turned into a cough dribbled from the back seat. The driver turned an eye back at Ezra. The boy had an uneven grin.

"I agree." Kanan said. "Ezra, listen to the wise speeder driver. I'm a terrible influence and you should have nothing to do with me." The older Jedi grimaced as he sat up. "I don't think I can manage any more jumping from very, very high places anyway." The cabin rumbled again with the drivers laughter.

"So when do I get to learn the old Jedi art of 'Sleeping through the hard parts'?" Ezra whispered to Kanan. The boy caught his master's face stiffen for a moment, then it was gone. Ezra would have brushed it off as nothing, except he felt a shift through the force as well. Usually danger felt like a ripple or a physical nudge. This felt more like a temperature change. Very subtle and in the background, but definitely there.

"Well, seeing as you two are back on your feet, I think its best if you two started walking from here." The driver said. Both passengers braced themselves as the cab banked downward toward the streets. Both the master and the apprentice gave each other a quick look, and Ezra felt Kanan reach out in support. Kanan's eyes glanced at the helmet and back at Ezra, and the boy took the cue. He felt Kanan reach out and calm his heartbeats before Ezra had noticed it had been beating faster. Feeling Kanan's desire to not draw attention, Ezra calmly put his helmet back on and sealed the visor as the cab pulled to a stop.

Stretching outside, Ezra casually searching the area for trouble as Kanan payed the driver. There was a thick layer of smoke and dust in this area that made seeing past the third story impossible. Only the sounds of the hundreds of speeders above the smog made it through. The streets were mostly deserted, with most buildings looking industrial.

"Seeing as I did help you two above the usual trip, maybe you'd feel a bit more generous?" The driver said, holding one of his massive hands out the window. Kanan raised an eyebrow and looked at Ezra. The boy nodded and Kanan handed over a few more credits. "Thank you gentlemen." The driver said as he prepped for lifting back up into the sky. "Since you've been so kind to me, I also thought you might want to know someone has been tailing me since I picked you up." Ezra felt Kanan's concern spike and did his best to reassure his master. "They come in and out but they've been back there. I ducked down under the smog as soon as I couldn't see them, but I suggest you find somewhere safe." The speeder lifted up through the smog as the two Jedi moved into the maze of buildings.


End file.
